STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS

(2015) 135 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review:  Yes I know this movie has been out for awhile and I finally got a chance to see it.  I think I was kind of dragging my feet on seeing this movie because I knew a lot of what was going to happen in it.

I really liked the new characters.  Seeing a storm trooper turn good and a strong female Jedi take the reins of this new chapters adventure leaves me optimistic for the future of the franchise. I am also curious to see more of Rey's backstory and why she was left on Jaku by herself.

I absolutely hated the new bad guy Kylo Ren. Who he is, where he comes from, why he is the way he is and what he does to his father.  There was so many different ways they could have incorporated a new bad guy and this is the what we end up with. I didn't even care for the actor, he seemed like some kid that liked wearing masks and having temper tantrums.  

I didn't care for the fact that Luke Skywalker was only in the movie for about a minute at the end.  They should have called the movie "The search for Luke" instead of the force awakens.  It's just another way to grab your money by sucking you in to see the next movie which better have more screen time for him.

It was good seeing a lot of the old stuff from the "original trilogy" but they should have focused more on what actually happened in those 30 years instead of giving you little pieces to the puzzle and making you figure out what was going on. For example why was CP-30's arm red?

Overall it was an okay movie, I don't understand why everyone is going bonkers over it, I thought the rebooted Star Trek was far superior to this attempt to awaken the force.

Best Scene:  There were a few funny scenes which played off the "original trilogy" I thought were good.

Mike's Rating:  Matinee.  If you haven't seen it yet on the big screen you should. At least there is no Jar-Jar in this one.

A.C.'s Review:  Is it 1977 or 2016? Its hard to tell because this is a rip roaring return to the STAR WARS  universe of the “Original Trilogy” that is universally loved as opposed to the CGI heavy “prequel trilogy” that is not as widely embraced by Star Wars fans worldwide.

Picking up 30 years after RETURN OF THE JEDI we find new characters such as Rey. A lonely scavenger woman on a desert planet called Jaku. Before long her life will intersect with a defecting storm trooper named Finn who rejects the evil ways of the FIRST ORDER which was formed out of the remnants of the old empire. There is new evil abound everywhere as the First Order lead by its Supreme Leader and his evil overseer KYLO REN who is devote of the dark ways of the Sith attempts to regain control of the galaxy from the rebel forces who claimed victory three decades ago.

Before it is all over many old familiar faces will be drawn back into the brewing galactic conflict.

It’s hard to write a review of this movie because I don’t want to spoil anything. So I will just say that this was such a joyous return to the world of STAR WARS that it bodes well for the future of the franchise. Since DISNEY purchased Lucasfilm we can look forward of more STAR WARS movies for years to come. Should they  maintain the quality of this film we are in for a treat.

A word about the director. He is JJ Abrams…the same director that has for all practical purposes ruined the STAR TREK franchise with his juvenile approach to Kirk and company has pulled off a miracle by making this movie. Talk about a Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde.

Welcome back STAR WARS!

Best Scene:  How the Millennium Falcon is reintroduced. It made me literally bolt forward in my theater seat. I almost cheered.

A.C.'s Rating: Full Price

THE REVENANT

(2015) 156 Minutes, Rated R
 

Bean's Review:  This is a revenge movie.  The acting is quite good, the scenery is breathtaking, but the movie is depressing.  It is very gory, which typically does not bother me, however, the way it is filmed, the gore is right in your face.

The lengths to which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character goes to survive become almost unrealistic.  Tom Hardy did well as a very bad man, but I do not care seeing him in that type of role.

The scene everyone has focused on, the grizzly bear attack, is good, but one can tell it is computer generated.
 

When DiCaprio’s character finally catches up with Hardy’s character, the fight is anticlimactic, which is probably why DiCaprio left Hardy for the Indian to deal with.

Best scene:  not really a “best” scene, more on the icky side, was when DiCaprio cut into the horse and climbed in to keep warm.

Bean’s rating:  Probably worth viewing on the big screen, however, I have no interest in seeing it again.

Mike's Review:  Well this movie was different.  The story was just as Bean said above a revenge story.  The action was pretty hard core and graphic which was fun.  The bear scene was pretty believable but you could defiantly tell it was CGI, but it was pretty good CGI.  

The Problem I had with this movie is that it was way too long.  It was basically two hours of Leonardo DiCaprio crawling around in the snow trying to survive. They could have easily cut an hour out of this movie and it would have still been the same movie.

Best Scene: Even though it was CGI, I liked the bear attack scene.

Mike's Rating:  Matinee

 

THE GOOD DINOSAUR

(2015) 93 Minutes, Rated  PG

A.C.’s Review:  The best way I can sum up this movie is that the decline of PIXAR is complete. You wouldn’t even guess this was the same company that made the superior TOY STORY movies.

Here we have a set-up of…what if the asteroid missed earth and didn’t wipe out the dinosaurs. Since that didn’t happen dinosaurs rule the earth and when men evolve they are just animals. A young human boy the lead dinosaur boy takes on as a pet is named “Spot” ho, ho ho…all the humor seems to come from the notion of a human being the “dog” sidekick of the movie as the young dinosaur tries to make his way home after being carried away in a flood.

As in all “road” movies they meet a plethora of characters along the way. The twist here is that it’s supposed to be a dinosaur “western”. You’ve bot “rustlers” played by Raptors. Cowboy/herders played by a T-Rex family (I will admit I liked the idea of the T-Rex being a good guy) and everybody talks with a Texas twang. And get this…the young dinosaur’s farm appears to be the homestead from SHANE with the Grand Tetons looming over head!

Completely un-entertaining and not very funny. PIXAR used to make movies adults could enjoy but they have had a successive streak of terrible offering...from BRAVE…to INSIDE OUT and now this. Plus the “short films” are so excruciating I can barely comment on them. Basically they have Politically Correct agendas they are pushing with these shorts and little kids in the audience I doubt will understand them ore like them.

I await PIXAR’s redemption with TOY STORY 4.

Best Scene: No one scene but the animation is so realistic you would have thought they had actually shot on location.

A.C.’s Rating:  Free on television.

POINT BREAK

(2015) 114 Minutes, Rated  PG-13

A.C.’s Review: This movie is apparently a remake of a Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze movie of the same name but never having seen the original I can’t speak to the complaints that it is a pale imitation.

The basic set up is a group of daredevil extreme athletes are committing Robin Hood type crimes around the world. Robbing from the rich and giving to the poor in an attempt to achieve a spiritual quest.

A former extreme athlete with a haunted past due to him getting his friend killed in a stunt is now an FBI agent and goes under cover with the rogue group in an attempt to bring  them down. The crux of the movie is the agent begins to identify with this group as he is somewhat cut from the same cloth. Will he be able to overcome his sympathies and due is job or will he fall into the same life of crime the group is enmeshed in.

On the positive side the movie had incredible stunts. The real ones were quite impressive but the ones with CGI less so because..well its CGI and not real. The around the world locations were interesting to look at.

On the negative side I didn’t really care about the characters at all so I was basically just along for the ride until the movie ended. Plus realty went out the window when two characters leaped off a waterfall that looked higher than a 40 story building and lived.

Best Scene: Extreme snowboarding down a mountain in the alps.

A.C.’s Rating:  DVD